When we think about snakes, leopards, zebras, crocodiles, and tigers, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a zoo, not a wardrobe. But that’s one place where you’ll find all these animals—in print form, of course. Animal prints, which visually recreate the skin or fur of their animal counterparts, are among the most popular fashion trends and go into our shopping bags and baskets every year.
How can you combine clothes with animal prints?
Be it a leopard-print tunic or skirt, a blazer with a snake design or shoes in a crocodile leather look—animal prints are the perfect partners for simple basics and will turn any outfit into a real eye-catcher. From sleek and chic to cool and casual, you can combine and style animal prints however you like—we’ll show you how to create some truly fashionable looks.
The leopard-print pattern
Roar—probably the most popular animal print pattern is leopard print. Get the leopard look: this wild print is constantly appearing on magazine covers, in fashion catalogs, and in store windows. Leopard print is everywhere—and so it should be! There is hardly any other print that manages to change and enhance an outfit as much as leopard print.
Want to create an outfit with animal print? It’s very simple: trend pieces in a leopard-print look go with almost everything. The pattern is usually very striking and also comes in bold colors. That’s why it makes sense to wear printed garments as deliberate eye-catchers in combination with simple outfits in muted colors, thus making them the focus of the outfit. Beige and brown tones usually look especially great. Clothes that are too tight fitting don’t look great in leopard print and can quickly become unflattering. So try to go for more loosely cut clothes and let your outfit truly shine.
Leopard print looks particularly cool, casual, and rock’n’roll with jeans or a leather jacket. The wild print also cuts a fine figure in the form of accessories such as handbags or shoes. If you’re feeling particularly brave and simply can’t get enough of the trendy animal print, you could even buy a coat with leopard print or slip into an elegant midi dress. From sexy to rock-chic to cool: animalistic leopard-print looks can do it all—a true chameleon of the fashion industry.
Snakeskin print
Sssssss … prints with a snakeskin look are also in fashion. Especially in more natural, light colors such as white or gray, as well as in soft shades of pink, this animal print truly captivates with its natural elegance. How about a fitted snake-print blazer to go with light-colored pants? A cool logo shirt can also be combined wonderfully with an animal-print skirt. The snake print is sure to catch the eye even more and be an instant hit!
The snake pattern will turn any look into an elegant yet cool eye-catcher and will enhance any outfit. In contrast to the rock’n’roll leopard look, snake prints look more feminine—so if you prefer elegant styles, you should take a closer look at this animal print. Due to the more elegant touch, garments with a snake print are also ideal for office outfits.
Zebra styles
Just as proudly as this wild animal of the African plains wears its stripes, you too can wear zebra patterned outfits. This animal print looks particularly modern. Black and white, the two classic colors that make up the print, go together wonderfully with each other, so stylish patterned garments with a zebra print can be combined perfectly with a whole host of different outfits.
Want to know what you can combine with animal prints? Just like with other animal prints, basics such as simple T-shirts, blouses, or skirts are the best match for zebra patterns. However, the restrained black and white combination allows for a little more color: modern petrol, fashion-conscious yellow, or khaki go perfectly with this animal print.
The zebra pattern is also a real hit in two different styles: on the one hand rock’n’roll, and on the other hand very elegant!
So stylish patterned garments with a zebra print can be combined perfectly with a whole host of different outfits.
Want to know what you can combine with animal prints? Just like with other animal prints, basics such as simple T-shirts, blouses, or skirts are the best match for zebra patterns. However, the restrained black and white combination allows for a little more color: modern petrol, fashion-conscious yellow, or khaki go perfectly with this animal print.
The zebra pattern is also a real hit in two different styles: on the one hand rock’n’roll, and on the other hand very elegant!
Simple partners create a tidy outfit
Let’s be clear: animal prints are best combined with simple garments. Animal-patterned pieces like to be the center of an outfit and are such eye-catchers that one animal-print garment is enough to give your outfit that exotic and wild touch you’re looking for. If you want to create some stylistic inconsistency and attract even more attention, you can combine leather or torn jeans with an animal print.
Incidentally, animal patterns always cut a particularly fine figure on your bag, belt, shoes, or hair clip, and are thus an easy way to enhance any outfit in no time at all. It’s best to combine wild animal-print accessories with simple looks in muted colors. This will make the accessories stand out more, and the animal print will still be the highlight of the outfit!
Can you combine animal prints with each other?
What works wonderfully when it comes to animal prints is a complete look. Dressing from head to toe in a single animal print requires a lot of courage, but you’ll certainly be rewarded with plenty of compliments.
Newbies can try out the complete look by starting out with a maxi dress or a long coat—more fabric means more patterns! If you want to take it a step further, try combining two pieces with the same animal pattern—but make sure the patterns are very similar, or at least have a very similar coloring.
If you want to combine one animal print with another animal print, you can gradually work up to a mix of patterns, just as you would when first trying out the complete look. To do this, choose a larger garment with an animal print, such as a tunic, dress or coat and combine it with a smaller animal-patterned garment, such as a cool belt or shoes with a wild print. The next step is then only for the bravest of the brave: Combine pants and a T-shirt or a skirt and blouse that have different animal prints—this is sure to turn heads.
As ever, when it comes to mixing, less really is more in terms of color with animal prints. Stick to muted colors and try out different combinations—you will find your distinctive look with animal prints!
Is it possible to combine other patterns with animal prints?
If you’re feeling really brave, you might want to venture into new ground: combining animal prints with other patterns. How does that work best? Animal prints can be worn with floral patterns, plaid, or spots. But stripes can also be a great way to break up an animal-print style.
Floral patterns give your looks more elegance, which is a great option to go with the more rock’n’roll leopard print. It’s best not to mix other prints with leopard patterns though, because this tends to work best on its own.
A snakeskin pattern goes extra well with a cool plaid pattern, while zebra patterns are not averse to combinations with spots. Let your creativity run wild and try out a few different styles from your wardrobe. After all, in fashion, anything goes, as long as it’s fun!
A quick tip: for any wild pattern combination, it is important to stick within the same color family if possible and also to go for a rather reserved choice of colors. The patterns will speak for themselves.
What occasions are best for an animal-print outfit?
Anyone who has fallen in love with these wild animal prints has probably asked themselves this question. Can I confidently wear animal patterns in the office? As long as it doesn’t go against your employer’s guidelines and your own personal preferences, we say: go for it, why not?!
If the fabrics are of a high quality and you don’t add any garish color combinations to these eye-catching prints, there’s nothing wrong with a little zebra or a touch of leopard in the office. In the evening you can then switch the simple pants for a leather skirt and paint the town red as you head off to a party in your animal-print outfit.
Big or small animal prints? What suits me best?
Want to combine animal prints but don’t know which pattern suits your figure best? When it comes to animal prints, you can also follow a few fashion tips that apply to other patterns.
The parts of the body you want to conceal tend to benefit from darker colors, while lighter colors can be used to create accents. What’s more, as the patterned garment is more eye-catching than the low-key garment, it is perfect for drawing attention to certain proportions or for distracting from certain problem areas.
Smaller animal prints suit short women particularly well. Clothes with small animal prints are also best combined with plain-colored pieces, otherwise the look can quickly become too cluttered.
Tall women can opt for large patterns, as they look especially good on them. And as we have already learned in this article: garish colors that are too bright are rarely a good idea for animal prints.
